Germany must prepare for “wind turbine decommissioning wave”

Many of Germany’s 28,000-odd onshore wind turbines will soon meet the end of their guaranteed 20-year feed-in tariff lifespan, meaning that the country can expect “a decommissioning wave” in the sector, Hinrich Neumann writes for Top Agrar. The Institute for Integrated Production Hannover estimates that about 2.4 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity will lose eligibility for guaranteed payments annually, and a retrofitting of older turbines with newer models is not always possible, Neumann says. In 2020 alone, about 4,500 turbines could be retired because their operation will no longer be economically viable, Neumann explains, adding that better technologies for recycling turbines and their components are needed to ensure the sustainability of wind power generation.